Relay for signaling apparatus.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

L. H. THULLEN.

RELAY FOR SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILBDMAR. 25. 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

QWQAMW No. 886,740. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908- L. H. THULLEN.

RELAY FOR SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 25, 190.1.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

WITNESSEKS I llfVENTOR M WM PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

L. H. THULLBN.

- RELAY FOR SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR- 25. IQQ'Z.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR wri'uzssss No. 886,740. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. L. H. THULLEN.

RELAY FOR SIGNALING APPARATUS.

- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1907.

4 sums-51mm 4;

immmmmmmmm UNITED STAT[ 1. S TENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. THULLEN, OF EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

RELAY FOR SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed March 25, 1907. Serial No. 361,482.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, LoUIs H. THULLEN, of Edgewood Park, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Relay for Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,hforming part of this specification, in

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of one form of rela embodying my invention taken on the line I of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the irregular line 11-11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3-is a horizontal section; Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the contacts; Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the laminated cores with the coils thereon shown in dotted lines and Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the cir- 1 cuit connections for the relay.

Myinvention has relation to an alternating current relay for use in signaling systems where alternating current of one frequency is'used for propulsion purposes, and an alternating current of a different frequency is used in the track or si naling clrcuit, as shown in my pending app ication, Serial No. 208,171, May 16, 1904.

The ob'ect of my invention is to provide a simple e cient relay of this character which will be operative by the higher frequency signaling current only, and it consists in a relay having two coils which operate inductively upon a contact actuating device, one of said coils being capable of carrying a preponderance of the high frequency current, and the other coil bein capable of carrying a preponderance of 10W* requency current, the combined action of the two coils when traversed by low frequenc current upon the contact actuating mem er being nil. Means are also provided for controlling the direction of movement of the contact actuating member.

My invention also consistsin the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

the numeral 2 designates a suitable case, or'

closure having a removable cover 3 to which the relay mechanism is attached. "-This cover is provided with depending legs 4 which form a support for it when it is removed from the outer ortion 2 of the closure.

5, 5 designate two coils connected in series each of which carries a contact member 13 which by the movement of the shaft is designed to be brought into and out of contact engagement with the relatively-fixed contact 14. The contact members 13 are connected with the external circuit by means of the flexible ribbons or coils 15 leadin to the binding or terminal posts 16, while t e relatively stationary contacts 14 are connected to the terminal posts 17 by means of the conductors 18.

When current traverses the coils 5, 5, the aluminum vane 10 moves or rotates in the. upward direction from its position shown in Fig. 1, while when current traverses the coilsof coils would counterbalance the energy exerted by the other set of coils, and the weight of the vane would hold it in theposi- .tion shown in Fig. 1, with the contacts open. With a different number of turns in one set of coils, or a higher value of current in one coil than in the other, the rotation of the vane, however, is in the direction of the coil having the predominating number of ampere turns. Y

The principle of operation of this relay de pends therefore upon the relative number of ampere turns in the different coils. The amount of current traversing these coils may be varied in an well'known way, as by increasing the sel induction of one set of coils, or of the circuit including such coils, and by varying the resistance of the other set of coils, or of the circuit including the same.

g This latter variation may be efiected by so wound as to have a maximum amount of self-induction; or they may be so arranged in connection with other apparatus that the circuit which contains them will have con- 'siderable self-induction. It is a well known fact that in a circuit having self-induction, more current will flow through the circuit at a low frequency than at a high fre uency. The coils 5, 5 designate what I term t e high fre uency coils, and are Wound so as to have litt e self-induction, or are connected in a circuit which has little self-induction but considerable resistance or capacity, thereby causing current of high frequency to pre dominate in this coil. When the two sets of coils of this character are connected to the track rails 22 of a block section which is traversed byalternating current of two freuencies, the low frequency current being t e propulsion current, and the high frequency current the track or signaling current, the action will be as follows Under normal conditions, there will be no low frequency current traversing any art of the relay, and the only current therein will be the high fre uency signaling current. In this case the big frequency current will traverse both sets of coils, as they are connected to the same source, but owing to the relatively high self-induction of the coils 8, 8 these coils will shut out a large percentage of this current, while the coils 5, 5 having relatively small self-induction, Will permit a relatively large flow of this current through their windings. The predominating current there fore will be through the coils 5, 5 which will cause the vane 10 to revolve in the upper direction and close the contacts of the relay.

Under abnormal conditions, caused by the resistance being higher in one of the rails 22 than in the other rail of' the block section, there will be present a current of low frequenc at the point of connection of the relay. he action in this case will be as follows :The' coils 5, 5 having little self-induction but considerable resistance, or having a condenser in their circuit, will shut out a large percent. of the low fre uency current; while the coils 8, 8 having sel -induction only offer a freer path to this current. The current therefore will predominate in the coils 8, 8, thereby causing the vane 10 to move by gravity in a downward direction and open the contacts of the relay.,

In practice it is not essential that the Iow when low frequency current is present in the relay the combined action of the two coils upon the vane 10 shall be nil. If at such time the vane is in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the contacts open, it will remain stationary, while if the vane is in the raised position with the contacts closed it will move to its lower position and 0 en the contacts b the action of gravity. 0 long as the high fre uency current redominates in the coils 5, t e vane 10 will e held in a position with the contacts closed.

The advantages of my invention result ing either ordinary resistance or any equivalent for the present purpose, such as the condenser shown.

' Various-changes may be made in the construction and arrangement without departing from my invention. Thus the coils may be variously arranged; the mbde of windi and connecting them to secure their differential action may be changed; and the arrangement and character of the contacts may be widely varied, without departing from my invention.

I claim 1. An alternating current relay, having two windin s, laminated cores for said windings, the po e pieces of the cores having opposite portlons thereof sheathed with copper,

and a movable contact actuating member in operative relation tosaid windings, said windings having means in circuit therewith whereby the action of the current in one or the other windings will redominate according to the frequency of the current substantially as described.

2. An alternating current relay having a movable contact operating member and two windings, and means whereby each of said windin s exert a split-phase action upon the movabfia member, said windings having means in their circuits whereby one or the other redominates in its action upon the movabd of the current which traverses them; substantially as described. I

3. An alternating current relay having a movable member and two windings and means whereby one of said windingswill transmit a preponderance of high frequency current, means whereby the other winding will transmit a preponderance of low frequency current, the two windings acting to e member according to the frequency actuate" the movable member in o posite directions, and means whereby eac winding f exerts a two-phase action upon the movable member; substantially as described.

4. An alternating current relay, having a movable contact actuating member and two windings tending to actuate said member in 0 poslte (lirectlons when I16Ig1Z6d,-II18B.I1S

- w ereby one of said windings will transmit a preponderance of current of one frequency,.

and means whereby the other winding will 10 transmit a preponderance of current of anof one of said windings; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 1 my hand.

' LOUIS H. THULLEN. Witnesses:

JOHN MILLER,

H. M. CoRwIN. 

